Ethics & Responsibility—"All in Together"

Manson kicked off its live annual ethics training during the 2026 Construction Safety Week in May. This year’s theme—“All in Together”—and the associated action items—Recognize, React, and Respect—could easily also have been the theme for an “Ethics Week.” A strong safety culture and a strong culture of ethics go hand-in-hand.

John D. Heckel— Corporate Ethics & Compliance Officer

The 2026 Construction Safety Week action items aligned perfectly with the advice found on the decision tree in Manson’s Code of Ethics. Before we proceed with an action, we must be able to answer “yes” to three questions:

1. Recognize: Is my action legal and consistent with Manson policies?

   
   

2. React: Is my action consistent with Manson’s three core values—Take care of people, Do the right thing, and Find a better way?

   
   

3. Respect: Would this look OK if it were shown on the news?

Recognize: To identify safety concerns or ethical dilemmas, we first need the right knowledge and awareness. Safe operations and ethical decision-making are not always instinctive, which is why safety and ethics training are essential. With proper training, we can act with greater confidence and make informed decisions.

React: Recognizing an issue is a necessary first step, but the next step is crucial: how are we going to react? Will we comply and do the right thing? Or will we ignore the rules, the law, or the policy because it seems like the easiest route? Non-compliance can result in heavy fines and penalties for the company and for the employees. When we are not sure how to proceed, we should ask a subject matter expert for advice.

Respect: In a safety setting, we respect that unsafe operations can result in death. In an ethics context, we respect that non-compliance with the law can result in debarment of the company from performing work for the government—essentially a ‘death sentence’ for a major federal contractor like Manson.

All in Together: Manson’s Code of Ethics reminds us that one person’s actions can affect all of us. As a federal contractor, we hold ourselves and each other to a high standard of integrity.

In a 1920 Supreme Court decision, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote that people “must turn square corners when they deal with the Government,” alluding to a need to follow rules with strict compliance.

For that reason, every submittal, report, and statement we make must be truthful and accurate.

One of the benefits of working at Manson is knowing that doing the right thing will always be valued.